For many reasons, laparoscopic surgery has been widely developed throughout the world. Due to logistical constraints, it was only in 2008 that the first steps in its use occurred in Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The aim of this study was to report on the authors' ten-month experience in laparoscopic surgery at Lubumbashi Don Bosco Missionary Hospital (LDBMH). The study was a cross-sectional descriptive study with a significant sample size. It only took into account patients with abdominal surgical condition who had consented to undergo laparoscopic surgery and when the logistical constraints of the procedure were overcome. Independent variables were patients' demographic parameters, staff, equipment and consumables. Dependent parameters included surgical abdominal diseases, intra-operative circumstances and postoperative short-term mortality and morbidity. Between April 2009 and February 2010, 75 patients underwent laparoscopic surgery at the LDBMH making up 1.5% of all abdominal surgical activities performed at this institution. The most frequent procedure was appendectomy for acute appendicitis (64%) followed by exploratory laparoscopy for chronic abdominal pain (9.3%), adhesiolysis for repeated periods of subacute intestinal obstruction in previously laparotomised patients (9.3%), laparoscopic cholecystectomy for post acute cholecystitis on gallstones (5.3%) and partial colectomy for symptomatic redundant sigmoid colon (2.7%). There was a 4% of conversion rate to laparotomy. Laparoscopic surgery was more time-consuming than laparotomy, mostly when dealing with appendicitis. However, postoperatively, patients did quite well. There were no deaths in this series. Nursing care was minimal and early discharge was noted. These results are encouraging in the pursuit of laparoscopic surgery with the support from the DRC government and non-governmental organisations.